The invention relates to a method for representing information on a display device of a vehicle, on which the information can be represented in the form of a list, while the size of the display device is given and the type and size of the font are predefined, by means of a first number of list entries, each list entry having a second number of maximally representable characters. The invention further relates to a processor for controlling a display device of a vehicle.
Display devices of a vehicle have the basic problem that only a limited display area for representing the information is available for the list representation of telephone book entries, multimedia databases, navigation entries, etc. As a result of legal requirements and self-imposed regulations of the manufacturers of vehicles, information represented in text form should have a minimum size. Furthermore, the texts should not be animated, i.e. be displayed as moving texts.
In the case of list entries having a number of characters which is greater than the number of characters that can be represented in a line, it is sometimes problematic that several list entries with the same beginning can no longer be differentiated. This is illustrated in the example shown in FIG. 1. It shows a display area of a display device ANZ, for example, of a central video screen in the vehicle (so-called MMI of the head unit), a display in the instrument cluster, a head-up display or video screens in the rear seat area, in which, for example, six list entries L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6 of a telephone list are represented. For example, a number of approximately 20 representable characters Z can be displayed for each list entry. The number of list entries as well as the number of characters per list entry depends on the size of the display area of the display device ANZ and the type and size of the font.
As easily recognizable in FIG. 1, three list entries L2, L3, L4 are represented for “Dr. Michael Lehmann”. By “ . . . ” following the name, it is visualized to the user of the display device that additional information follows the name. In the present embodiment, three different telephone numbers are available for Dr. Michael Lehmann: In list entry L2, the number of a mobile telephone (“(Mobile)”), for list entry L3, a private telephone number (“(Home)”) and for list entry L4, a business telephone number (“(Office)”). Because of the shortness of the names, the list entries L1 for “Herrmann Klopp (Home)”, the list entry L5 for “Dr. Mut (Home)” and the list entry L6 for “Erich Nolte (Office)” are easily readable. However, the selection of a searched telephone book entry for “Dr. Michael Lehmann” is not easily possible for a user of a vehicle, particularly during the drive.
The same problems exist in a similar manner also when representing artists and music titles in the case of MP3 audio databases, in the case of navigation addresses, internet addresses or in the case of operating instructions, etc.
In order to nevertheless enable the user to differentiate between the list entries, the following solutions are known which are illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4.
According to the variant illustrated in FIG. 2, the list entries are generally represented in several lines if at least one list entry has a larger number of characters than the characters that can be represented in the display area. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, two lines OZ, UZ respectively are provided for each list entry L1, L2, L3, L4. Among other things, this has the result that an empty line is generated in the case of such list entries which per se can be completely represented in one line. This is illustrated as an example for list entry L1. However, because of the limited available number of lines, this representation is very confusing because, compared to the one-line list representation, a smaller number of list entries can be visualized.
FIG. 3 illustrates a known list entry end jump of the actively selected list entry. This approach is also called “flipping”. In the embodiment, list entry L3, which has a grey background and is marked C, is actively selected by an operating element of the display device ANZ. As soon as the list entry has been selected, the character sequence of the list entry is represented from the direction of the end, whereby the beginning of the character sequence of the list entry L3 is hidden. This is represented by the introductory “ . . . ”. This representation has the disadvantage that an active selection of the list entry is necessary for the visualization of the complete information of the list entry. If several list entries are successively selected by a user of the display device, this will lead to unsteady jump effects in the case of the respectively actively selected list entries, which are undesirable in a vehicle.
FIG. 4 illustrates a so-called dynamic multiple-line feature of an actively selected list entry. List entry L3, which has a gray background and is marked by a C, is selected again. As a result the information of the list entry is represented on multiple lines if the number of characters of the list entry is greater than the number of characters that can be represented on the display area. The disadvantage of jump effects will also occur here if the user successively selects a plurality of list entries. Furthermore, the user does not obtain a complete overview of the currently represented list entries because only the actively selected list entry will be readable.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method by which information can be represented in an improved manner on a display device of a motor vehicle, so that, with only minimal distraction, the driver can very clearly see the list entries. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a processor which permits an optimized controlling of a display device of a motor vehicle.
The invention provides a method for representing information on a display device of a vehicle, on which the information can be represented in the form of a list, while the size of the display device is given and the type and size of the font are predefined, by a first number of list entries, each list entry having a second number of maximally representable characters. For the first number of list entries currently to be represented on the display device, it is determined whether, in each case, two mutually successive list entries each have a number of characters that is greater than the second representable number of the respective list entry. In the affirmative case, i.e. when two mutually successive list entries cannot be represented completely on a respective line of the display device, the representable second number of characters of the mutually successive list entries is compared with respect to its distinctiveness. In the event of an indistinctiveness of the two mutually successive list entries that currently are to be represented on the display device, a distinctiveness of these two list entries will be established.
The invention is based on the principle that an optimization of the representation of one or more list entries is to be carried out only if required, i.e. if two or more mutually successive list entries are no longer distinguishable in the area of their visible sequence of characters. This reduces the driver's distraction because, if the size of the display device is given and the type and font are given, more information (i.e., list entries) with a good readability, can be represented, compared with the above described known display variants.
By means of the method according to the invention, differentiating information is thereby created, while space is limited, where this is required because of the information to be represented.
Advantageously, a change of the representation of respective list entries takes place only in the case of those list entries where an indistinctiveness is represented with respect to at least two mutually successive list entries currently to be represented on the display device. In other words, this means that, in the case of two mutually successive list entries where distinctiveness exists in the area of the second number of characters, no change of the display takes place of at least one of the list entries. As a result, an optimization of the list entries to be represented is ensured that meets the requirements.
Indistinctiveness exists when a syntactic distinctiveness of a given type exists in the area of the second number of characters of the mutually successive list entries. This is so, for example, when a single character that does not change the meaning or pronunciation of the represented word is different. As an alternative, indistinctiveness is present if a semantic distinctiveness exists in the area of the second number of characters of mutually successive list entries. The semantic distinctiveness is based on whether or not a word to be represented on the display device is understandable. This creates a better overview over the list entries represented in the list.
A further development provides that, for establishing the distinctiveness of the list entries that follow one another and cannot be distinguished in the area of the second number of characters, these concerned list entries are changed in their representation. Thus, independently of whether a, or which, list entry is selected, an optimization of all visible indistinguishable list entries will take place.
For example, in a variant, the concerned list entries are in each case represented in a multiple-line fashion.
In an alternative variant, at least some of the concerned list entries are represented in an abbreviated form. For abbreviating the concerned list entries, a respective list entry is divided into an indistinguishable character sequence and a distinguishable character sequence, at least the indistinguishable character sequence not being represented at least partially. In other words, this means that identical redundant information is at least partially omitted in the representation. Instead, the distinguishable part of the character sequence will be represented.
The represented character sequence advantageously comprises whole words or semantically understandable words. The abbreviated representation of a list entry may also be such that meaningful abbreviations of a word or a word sequence are selected. For example, the word “Bahnhof” (train station) can be abbreviated to “Bhf”. Likewise, an abbreviation of the word “Straβe” (street) to “Str.” is easily understandable for a user. A corresponding list of abbreviations could be used for this purpose which is stored in the vehicle or in a central memory to be reached by way of on-line access.
In a further advantageous development, an actively selected list entry of the indistinguishable list entries is represented in a multiple-line fashion. This means that a list entry abbreviated according to the preceding description is represented in its entirety as soon as this list entry becomes an actively selected list entry.
In another variant, for establishing the distinctiveness of the mutually successive list entries that are indistinguishable in the area of the second number of characters, the respectively actively selected list entry is changed in its representation, i.e. with respect to the other indistinguishable list entry or entries. In this case, the dynamic optimization becomes active only on the respectively actively selected list entry.
According to a first variant, the actively selected list entry can be represented in a multiple-line fashion. In particular, the list entries to be represented after the actively selected list entry are displaced downward by the space required for the multiple-line feature of the actively selected list entry. A less active display is obtained if the actively selected list entry fades over the list entry or entries that follow.
Likewise, the actively selected list entry can be represented in an abbreviated form in the manner described above. It is also contemplated that the actively selected list entry jumps to the end of the list entry, which corresponds to the initially described “flipping”.
A processor according to the invention for controlling a display device of a vehicle is equipped for implementing the method according to the invention.
The invention will be explained in the following by means of embodiments.